


Are You Receiving Me

by Duck_Life



Category: 17776: What Football Will Look Like in the Future - Jon Bois
Genre: Developing Friendships, Gen, Pen Pals, Pre-Series, They're Both Lesbians
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-04 15:32:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11558154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Duck_Life/pseuds/Duck_Life
Summary: Nancy and "Tenny" over the years.





	1. February 12, 16012

Hello? Can you hear me? I really hope this is the right number. 

I guess that depends on who you're trying to reach, stranger. Who is this? 

OH WOW!

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, sorry, I'm totally fangirling right now. 

I'm Pioneer 10! My friends call me Ten, though.

Well. My friend. 

Um, okay?

Who are you trying to reach? 

You! Nancy McGunnell, legendary running back! Oh my gosh, I swear, I would have all your trading cards if I could get my hands on those elite collectibles. 

Also if I HAD hands.

Ohhh, you know what? I think I just figured out who you are! You're one of those little satellites from outer space.

Pioneer 10. 

Right, right. You sent us the FART message a couple thou ago.

That was not my idea! My idiot friend thought it would be funny. I wanted to say something about how incredible the human connection and experience is, how we can find each other and communicate despite our physical distance and our colossal differences. But he just wanted to be a moron.

Oh, I thought it was funny. I think that's one thing you learn when you find out you're gonna live forever, you need to be able to laugh at little things. What's that old saying? Growing up is mandatory, growing old is optional. I am 14,058 years old, and I haven't grown old yet. I don't intend to. 

That's a neat attitude to have. Gosh, sorry, I'm still so... starstruck I guess. I've got records of all your greatest plays saved on my database. 

YOU'RE starstruck? It's not every day I get a phone call from a space probe. My daughter's going to be so impressed, I'll have to tell her. She was ecstatic when you and your buddy made first contact. 

Really?

Oh, yeah! She loves all that space stuff. Used to work at NASA way back when. She checks the comm logs at Kennedy every single day, I kid you not, every single day to see if any of the other clunkers we sent into space have tried talking back. You know, like Spirit and Opportunity, Voyager, the Sally Ride Starstation. She's gonna be so jealous. 

I'd love to meet her someday. If, you know, if that would be alright? I don't want to intrude.

Bullshit, you're not intruding! We're all stuck here in the big wide world together, we should at least be part of each other's lives, that's what I think. 

Oh, alright then. Well, it's nice to officially meet you. THE Nancy McGunnell, wow.

And I can't hardly believe I'm talking to THE Ten. Don't sell yourself short, tuna can. You're an amazing feat of ingenuity and technology. And you're a hell of a conversationalist.

Oh! Well. Thank you. You're not so bad yourself.

Shoot. They're calling for me. I've gotta get to Nebraska before kickoff. We'll talk later, right?

Count on it, Ms. McGunnell.

Oh, please! Call me Nancy. Ms. McGunnell is my daughter.

Ha, okay then. Nancy. It was so nice really talking to you. Goodbye!

Goodbye, dear! Wish me luck. 


	2. September 26, 16017

GUESS WHAT.

WHAT.

I quit! I'm done. Finite. Over. No more.

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What do you mean?

I mean I'm done playing football. I'm hanging up my cleats. I'm retiring.

But why? You're one of the best! Scratch that, THE best. Did something happen?

My daughter just bought the general store in Milwaukee. So I'm going to help her run it. I'm so excited! I think we're going to try and get an old-timey soda fountain in there and we can serve ice cream and we're going to sell all this neat football memorabilia and also just fun knickknacks. We're going to have a huge candy selection.

But what about the game?

I'm out of the game. It was time for something new.

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I don't understand.

Let me see if I can explain it. Um. How old are you, Ten?

Well, I was launched in 1972. But I didn't start thinking and having feelings and shit until 12754. So... I guess I'm not really sure how to answer that.

Okay, well, no matter how old you are, think about it. If you could stop being a space probe and come down to Earth and run a general store with your daughter, wouldn't you do it? Just for the change of pace?

What I think is that change is our most precious resource. Just because we have all the time in the world, that doesn't mean we should stagnate. We as people, we as individuals, we need to keep on growing and learning and changing, or else what's the point of all this? I realized it was time for me to make a change in my life.

Couldn't you have just started playing as a wide receiver?

[laughing] It's also about spending more time with my daughter and supporting her.

Do you think you'll miss it? The game.

I might, eventually. Right now I'm just so thrilled to be doing something new and different. Change is good, Ten. It's always nice to do something different.

I'll have to take your word for it. I haven't changed since 1972, except for my orbit I guess. I'm always going to be doing what I'm doing, floating out here, spectating.

Well, I can think of one good change that happened in your life recently.

You and I started chatting!

Oh! Oh. You're right.

I really like talking to you. It's weird, it's like you understand me so, so well even though you're not human. Or maybe because you're not human? I don't know.

Okay, I know I acted all surprised at your career change but I am excited for you. You're excited, so I'm excited. And Nancy, if I weren't a space probe floating millions of miles away, I would absolutely help you celebrate by buying you a drink.

Here.

That is so cute!

I know! I wish I could get drunk.

Just crash into an asteroid, feels the same.

Thanks for the tip.


	3. September 30, 16017

HEY WHAT'S UP its ur fav juicy-juice with an authors note. characters talking in the authors note lmao like seriously what is this 2007 on fanfiction.net?? anywho! just to be clear, ten and nancy have plenty of gab sessions between these chapters they're not. like. talking to each other and then ignoring each other for years. they're not that petty. 

well, ten is.

to recap: theres plenty of bonding and chatting offscreen, and that's just up to yalls imaginations. OK AUTHORS NOTE DONE BAIIIIIIIIIII

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Hey, I'm going to try to transmit something. Let me know if you get it.

!!!!!

Is that Marcie?

Sure is! Made our first sale this morning. It's so exciting to be working alongside family. I mean, sure, my team was my family, but... you know what I mean.

I think I know what you mean? That must be so exciting. And the store looks so nice. What made Marcie decide to run a general store?

Actually, her uncle inspired her. My brother Michael. He used to own McGunnell General thousands and thousands of years ago. Marcie even used to help out.

Wait, I think I have a pic. Hang on.

There, that's Michael and Marcie, circa 2020. Same store, different building. Different world, back then, really.

Is Michael helping out again with the new store?

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Michael actually passed away a couple years before the Turn.

Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I had no idea.

It was a long time ago.

Everything was a long time ago.

What was he like?

Oh, he was the responsible one, you know. [laughing] I'd be the one to say, "Hey Mikey, let's go pet that big dog!" and he'd say, "Nance, that's a coyote!"

Oh man, I can definitely picture that.

Sometimes I think it's a damn good thing we've got the nanos, because without Michael around telling me to stay outta trouble, I probably woulda gotten myself in some sticky situations.

My...

...........

My siblings are gone too.

Honey, I'm so sorry. I had no idea you had brothers and sisters.

Not to be an ignoramus, but how exactly does that work? Mommy Space Probe and Daddy Space Probe or...?

Ha! No, there were other spacecraft in the Pioneer program. There were the early ones, in the 50s, like Pioneer 1, up to Pioneer 5. My big brothers and sisters.

This is Pioneer 2. She (???) failed on reentry in '58.

Then after that but before me, there were Pioneers 6, 7 and 8. They all went dormant around the 4100s. Maybe they'll wake up someday, but I have no idea. No way to know. They're kind of just floating out there, like I was. I don't know if they'll ever achieve sentience the way Juice and I did, so it's weird. Are they really my family or are they just... space junk?

I think...

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I think if you think they're your family, they're your family. And I'm so sorry. You must feel real lonely up there.

Well, I've got Juice. And you!

That's right!

Wait, so you told me about Pioneer 8, and you're Pioneer 10. What about Pioneer 9?

Pioneer 9 went dormant in 1983.

I can dream of 6, 7 and 8 someday waking up and talking to me, but it's impossible that 9 ever could. ~~She~~ They (???) haven't been active since way before the Turn, so...

I'm sorry.

It's okay.

They all ~~died~~ went dormant (???) a long time ago.

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Everything was a long time ago.


	4. October 2, 16017

You there?

Sure thing! What's new?

I found a picture of Pioneer 9.

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I bet they would have made an awesome big brother or sister.


	5. August 9, 16451

Nancy?

Yeah, hon, what's up?

What does ice cream taste like?

Um.

What?

It's just that Juice and I were talking about summer and humans and the history of ice cream, and did you know Ben and Jerry still live in Vermont? They've made about 5,000 different flavors of ice cream now. They keep making new flavors. It's like, infinite. Turns out if time just goes on forever without ceasing, you think of so many different flavors. They have a flavor called "Eternal Moment" and everyone says THAT'S what it tastes like, and I can't believe that. How can a flavor taste like an idea? What is that? How does that work?

You've put a lot of thought into this.

Those two ice cream making dreamers, they're still friends. Nancy, they've been friends since... since 1963. And after, jeez, after 14,488 years they're still friends and they're still making ice cream.

Well, sometimes bonds last long like that. And they share a common interest, you know? And people still do need ice cream. I know I wouldn't make it through the week without my Cherry Garcia cone.

Did you know Ben has anosmia? He has no sense of smell and almost no sense of taste. That's why all their ice cream has big chunks of stuff in it, because Ben needs the texture.

It's really amazing, you hear about these people who shouldn't be able to do what they do, you would think. Like Beethoven, he was deaf but he composed the most famous symphonies ever. And you've got artists who were color blind, like Charles Meryon. Monet had cataracts and stopped being able to tell colors apart. And you'd think, oh yeah, these people can't do xyz, but then they can do all that and more, they can do it better than anyone else. 

Or like Giselle Horvath. You know her?

I know of her. Used to play for the Vegas team, right?

Yeah, but like, before the Turn she had both arms amputated after a skiing accident. That was something the nanos couldn't fix, you know? So she goes out and she starts playing football, and she's better than anyone else. She knows how to run to avoid being tackled, she knows how to take a hit. She knows how to get possession and hang onto it. I mean she, like, carries about this satchel for the ball and she'll literally kick the ball out of other players' arms.

I've seen the videos. Girl's a legend.

And no one could have guessed that. Or I mean, maybe we should. Humans are incredible. When they're told they can't do something, they just work even harder and somehow do it better than anyone's ever done it before.

It's just really something to admire.

You still wanna know what ice cream tastes like?

Oh. Yeah.

Well.

It's like. Happiness in food form. It's like all of the best days of your life rolled into a single moment. I can understand the name "Eternal Moment," because that's what it's like. It's like you don't even have to worry about tomorrow... I mean no one does, not anymore. But ice cream keeps you from even worrying about the FACT that you don't have to worry. If that makes sense.

It does.

There's so many flavors. It's like... you really wanna know what it's like? It's like running a touchdown in from Minnesota to Washington and it takes forever and ever but you finally do it and it's like YES. It's like when someone comes into the general store looking for this really specific trading card and we have it, and maybe it's the last one on the shelf, and it's amazing. It's like finding a penny from 1978. It's like talking to you, Ten.

Oh.

Yeah.

I'm glad ice cream exists. Even if I can't eat it.

I'm glad we're friends.

Me too. I'm... really glad we lived at the same time.

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Me too.


End file.
